Andy Cowell, who has overseen the production of the V6 hybrid power units that have won six consecutive Formula 1 double world championships for Mercedes, is set to leave his role as managing director.
Cowell has headed the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) department for the last seven years, having worked there in total for 16; he reportedly informed the team of his intention to depart in January.
Since then, Cowell—who also worked on the Cosworth engine Johnny Herbert used to win the 1999 European Grand Prix with Stewart, and the BMW engine that powered Williams to four wins in 2001—has been collaborating with Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wollff and Daimler’s Markus Schafer to define a new management structure, officials said.
Cowell’s responsibilities will be split among the senior leadership team, with Hywel Thomas taking over as managing director, with direct responsibility for the F1 Power Unit.
Mercedes has said Cowell will continue to work alongside Thomas to “support the transition” and will consult on “a major future project until at least early 2021.”